>> he learns how difficult working ther can be. >> how do you say..."get out the way"? >> shoro >> can this brittish man find common ground with his local host? >> "must really take it out of mr. loteef"... >> toughest place to be a ferryman on al jazeera america ... >> are you with us or against us? ukrainian soldiers are being pressured that you refer to take sides as to the mroments screening dip laments screening low mats meet in paris. >> al jazeera, live from doha. also coming up on the program, accused of interference with saudi arabia, the united aurab emirates withdraw am bossed bass screening screening screening ambassadors. >> a screening 3 are making their second court appearance. the investigation that found more than 60 million women in

the eu have experienced sexual or physical violence. the world's top dip lom at screening screening screening diplomats have converged on paris. screening that you refer to seek a political solution to the deadlock. ukraine's economy has been given a boost. the european commission has announced a massive aid package that you refer to ukraine worth at least $15,000,000,000. now, all eye you screenings screening screening screening screening eye screening screening eye s and nato will hold talks with its headquarters in brucels. ukrainian soldiers in the cream are surrounded by sharnings forces. in some cases, ukrainian troops

say they are coming under pressure to take sides. >> that's where we begin with this report from hoda who is on the cre crimean port. >> in there is somewhere where the russias have control, it's here at sevastopol. they block all traffic, draining all life from this otherwise thriving port. this is an easy target for the russians. but if their intention is to take over all ukrainian military installations, the next is not over yet. ukrainian servicemen have refused to yield to this russian show of force. >> the russians have taken position in front of this army base. we managed to speak to some of the ukrainian servicemen through the gate. they said they hadn't received any ultimatum yet. they said they had no intention to surrender their base because they had pledged loyalty to ukraine and they also said that they hoped that this will be

solved peacefully. >> the soldiers are tadigging i for the long haul while politicians try to reach a compromise. >> this story has two sides. on the one hand, my son has obey the ukrainian government that he pledged to serve. since the government changed, the situation is different, and our children are suffering >> reporter: the crisis is clearly polarizing opinions in crimea. servicemen are under pressure to take place in both. russians are not invaders as a woman shouts at her son and his rom rads. they explain they are caught in the middle. she is not convinced. >> we are on our land. this is ukrainian territory. many people don't understand us.

here we are from the east, west, and south. there are different opinions, and people are stressed out. it's hard >> reporter: as the crisis deepens, perhaps one of the biggest challenges for the ukrainian military is to stay disciplined in the face of growing divisions in the country they swore to serve. al jazeera, sevastopal. >> fears and escalation grow. sergei lavrov says russia will do everything it can to prevent violence. >> translator: if you are talking about self defense of the cry crimean people, we haven't given them orders. there were special measures taking to the hinderland. as our president said, we will do everything we can to present any blood shed. >> as we mentioned, the world's top diplomats are meeting in paris. it was scheduled to discuss

syria but u ukraine discussion is to be high. our diplomatic editor looks at how one crisis is affecting the other. >> the ongoing battles in syria are more than a thousand kilometers away from ukraine. the crisis in crimea may have a real impact. the international community has given this man the job of trying to find peace in syria, but talks convened by veteran peacemaker have achieved nothing. getting both sides back around the table and persuading them, and in particular, the syrian government, to negotiate properly requires pressure from the u.s. and russia working together. that the doesn't look like it will happen. just like the peace talks, the deal to remove syria's chemical weapons was done by us secretary of state, john kerry and his russian counterpart, serge

sergei lavrov. >> so much happened since this handshake took place at this spot six months ago. u.s.-russian relations are obviously at the worst point since the end of the cold war. the chemical weapons plan is not going to plan. the syrian government is behind schedule in getting the deadly agents out of the country. >> some believe the assad government may welcome the fact the world's attention has moved. >> i think he is dancing in damascus. he knows they have their hands full with the crimean crisis. he believes a lot of pressure will be taken out of his back because ought of nato, europe, the u.s. is into ukraine. >> there could, however, be a downside for president assad, too. he relies on shan support for weapons and parts and aircraft and tanks. if the west presses for sanctions against russian banks and arms manufacturers, that

could really hurt. james bayes, al jazeera with the united nations. more from paris >> reporter: this is the first face-to-face meeting between top american and russian officials since things in ukraine and crimea took a dramatic turn for the worse over the weekend. there seems to be an enormous gulf in perception between washington and mock on you as to what is happening in crimea and the nature of events in kiev over the past few days, moscow saying that an illegal rebellion led by facists. americans with european leaders stressing its legitimacy. there is that huge gulf between them. on the other hand, as you heard sergei lavrov saying russia does not want bloodshed, the west saying they will treat russia as

a partner on this issue. so there is scope for common ground and i guess events in paris over the next few hours will give us a pretty good sign as to whether the diplomatic tension is going to drag on or worsen within the or if there are the first chinks of light at the end of the tunnel. there's a way through with dye log? we don't know yet. >> the trial of three al jazeera journalists was resumed in egypt. the court is hearing evidence for the prosecution. peter gresta, barha mohammed red accused of terrorism. al jazeera region jackets the charges. ays is currently not allowed to report from egypt. we did manage to get this update from cnn correspondent a short while ago. >> many rights groups, many journalists say this trial is a clear message by the government

they are going to cram down on any narrative that goes against the dominant narrative among authorities which is the muslim brotherhood is a terrorist organization. so, many media organizations just don't know. can they contact former members of the muslim brotherhood or current members of the muslim brotherhood? is there a crime? on several locations, we have asked authorities if it is a crime to be in touch with some members of the muslim brotherhood. they are not certain. it's this certainty and arrests that make this a very difficult environment to work in. we should point out, these three individuals, these al jazeera journalists are among thousands of protesters, activists and other journalists who are facing a similar ordeal many say it's trials like this and other detentions that are a troubling sign that egypt is going back to a repressive, authoritative state instead of going towards

fulfilling the promises of the 2011 revolution. >> syrian government forces are waging a campaign of siege warfare and starvation against civilians as part of the military campaign against rebel fighters. >> that's among the findings of a u.n.-mandated independent report which has just been released. the investigation, catalogue of the suffering 250,000 people who are besieged across syria, government forces were accused of denying basic aid in order to force people to choose between surrender and stashation. war crimes have been committed by opposition groups. more from geneva >> reporter: this is that report. 7th report of the independent international commission on inquiry on syria since that commission was set up by the u.n. in 2011. this particular report covers events in syria from mid july last year to mid january this year, and it makes pretty grim reading much like its

predecessors. dealing with the plight, among other things, of a quarter of a million or more syrians living under conditions of siege in various parts of the country, under relentless shelling and bombardment, so says the report, deprived of basic needs like food, like shelter, like access to medical care. the report says in many cases, they must choose between surrender or starvation. it also makes a distinction as previous reports have done between government and pro-government forces on the one hand and so-called non-state-armed groups on the other. but it deals with both of them with equal -- pretty much equal criticism, containing evidence of allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity leveled at both groups for things like murder, rape, torture, use of children in conflict, the targeting of medical personell and journalists. it accuses the government of indisriminate bombing from the air and the use of barrel bombs.

it accuses the use of car bombs targeting civilian areas indiscriminately. it goes on to make a recommendation as follows: that all states with influence over the parties insure that they comply with the rules of international law. the report says, quote, "the warring parties do not fear being held accountable for their actions." "the security council," it s s says, "allows parties to act with impunity ". >> ambassadors are withdrawn from qatar. gulf countries agreed not to interfere with each other's internal affairs. in its response, the qatar government expressed surprise. the statement says that the move taken by the kingdom of saudi arabia, uae and bahrain have

nothing to do with security. and they state they will be concerned about the brothers in the council. >> michael stephens with the royal united services institute think tank. good to have you with us, michael. on the face of it, this is about a security agreement signed by gcc state several months ago. qatar says in that statement that actually, this is a difference of opinion on a number of issues outside the gcc. what do you make of it? >> i would agree that there is quite a lot of disconnect right now between the way that qatar sees the world and particularly the united arab em irats sees the world and the most contention is the muslim he brotherhood. qatar has viewed them to be supported and it has pro-muslim

scholar living in its borders. i think this has been the core from which this problem which has been spread to saudi arabia and bahrain has come from. the saudis have taken a strong position on egypt. they are very pro-the new administration which is in power, and qatar there is not. there are larger regional questions at play here as well. qatar was never that supportive of the bahraini government, unlike uae and soaudi arabia. there are plenty of questions regionally in which qatar is not playing ball. i would say the only thing it is seeing eye to eye with the rest of the gcc on is syria. there are a number of issues that need to be cleared up. it's flared up in quite a serious fashion today. >> indeed. how bad is it? is it a temporary diplomatic spat, or could this evolve into

something more serious? >> whether it's temporary or more permanent depends upon qatar's response. right now, there needs to be some signal from qatar that they have understood the concerns of saudi arabia and they are working assid with usually to correct some of those differences. qatar has developed a pro-muslim brotherhood stance. he can't walk away with that in terms of your foreign policy ideas if you like. it's going to be difficult for them to suddenly just about turn and pretend that nothing in the last three years has ever occurred. i think if the qataris can somehow show they are willing to compromise but at the same time, saving face diplomatically are not appear to go give too much ground, then i think that we might have a quick end to this problem. if they do not, this could drag on and it could get more serious. >> is it possible to explain in simple terms: why is there this disconnect over the muslim brotherhood? why would qatar see it as a

group worthy of supporting and the next door neighbor see it as an absolute security threat? >> the gulf nations have always had a close connection between religious clerics and political leadership especially saudi arabia. the united arab emirates views the muslim brotherhood as a force without borders that has politics married to religion. >> that's something the uae can't count enance as being a sort of rival to the pour in abu dhabi. the likewise who have a wahabi outlook don't view the misslum brotherhood and its marriage of politics and islam as a legitimate force within their current tree. there are pro-muslim brotherhood supporters in these countries. they represent a genuine political force. >> worries these gulf states. qatar has had kawadari living there for 50 years. they have formed close links

with the muslim brotherhood leadership, not just in egypt but across the region. they viewed it for a chance of expanding their interests. the others have viewed it as a threat to their interests. >> thank you very much for that, michael stephens >> reporter: thank you. >> in london there. coming up here on the program, we will be taking a look at the big issues and the big players at the world's largest democracy prepares for national elections. the little boy with big dreams. how a free school in bangladesh is giving him and other children hope. >> start with one issue ad guests on all sides of the debate. and a host willing to ask the tough questions and you'll get... the inside story ray suarez hosts inside story weekdays at 5pm et / 2pm pt only on al jazeera america >> these protestors have decided that today they will be

arrested >> these people have chased a president from power, they've torn down a state... >> what's clear is that people don't just need protection, they need assistance.

>> welcome back. the top stories on al jazeera. talks are taking place in sparrows as diplomats aim to deescalate the crisis in ukraine. the european commission has announced $15,000,000,000 for the struggling economy. saudi arabia, bahrain have with withdrawn ambassadors from qatar. the qatar government expressed surprise and sorrow at the decision. >> u.n. investigators have detailed suffering of more than 250,000 syrians under siege. an independent inquiry says civilians are being starved into submission by both sides. ind india's election commission has announced upcoming parliamentary elections.

april 7th. here is more >> reporter: it's the world's largest democracy. for many, this is the moment millions have been anticipating. >> the date of poll shall be on 7th of april, 2014 >> reporter: it all begins on the 7th of april and ends on the 12th of may. india has 814 million people voting in the general election. issues from healthcare to investment are being debated nationwide. it's not just a fight between the two main parties, the bjp and congress. the past two years has seen the emergency of several other political groups, the all common man party. they did well in recent local elections in delhi. smaller parts and their leaders are asserting their own claims to power and will play an

important role in any political coalition. voters have different hopes. >> no one knows what a new government will bring in. i hope we will see more development. >> now when i work, i have many options, whoever the party is. whichever party i to for, that party will be there. >> the needs very from rural urban areas. >> the issues are of civic services, protection, safety, electricity, water, civic amenities. the only party not talking very much about development is the armadi party. >> the overriding topic to people on the streets is how to combat corruption. it's a subject all of the political parties have broached, all of them trying to convince the electorate that they are

more honest than the others. india has not seen a majority-led government since 1984. it's likely that it won't happen again in this election either. any coalition will be scrutinized by the pin. they want a government that listens to them. in thailand, some are trying to shut down the excise tax in bang coko bangkok. some lifted concrete barriers and forced employees to leave. the office continues to function. the government says a state of emergency could be extended until the protests end completely. malaw malasia's highest co s judges postponing a decision. last october a lower court ruled in favor of the government

saying none of them were allowed to use the word "allah. it has been a year since the death of hugo chavez. his successor, maduro will oversee a military parade which is due to start in the capitol within hours. there will be a ceremony at the hilltop mausoleum housing his remains. those are taking place in the shadow of venzuela's worst unrest in a decade. thousands of anti-government protesters took to the streets on tuesday. many activists wore white to symbolize peace. the government says 18 people have been killed and hundreds injured in about a month of protests. the demonstrations begin over chronic foot shortages and rising crime. >> in the street are children. it can't be like this. it can't. i want democracy. i want freedom to bring up my children in a democracy. >> a comp rehencive survey on domestic violence against women

in the european union has been released. the first of its kind draws on face to face interviews with 42,000 randomly selected women. 33% of women said they had experienced physical or sexual violence or both since the age of 15. >> translates to around 62 million women across the 28 nations in the eu. for two-thirds of those women, it was perpetrated by a partner. the number of women who were subjected to physical and sexual violence as children is also 33%. 18% said they had been stalked. some said it lasted over two years. 54% said they had experienced some form of sexual harassment. a third of them said it was by a boss, a colleague or a customer. 11% counted inappropriate advances on social websites or received sexually ex spliplicit e-mails and 20% had harrisment.

the body behind the research says there is still more work to be done on the issue. we have not dug into the particular elements of the survey. why do we see these differences? what is it, for example, in the nordic countries, we see a particular pattern. is it, for example, the alcohol culture that may be one feature. it may be that since there is a high level of equality, there is more openness is being talked about more than in other countries. so there are a number of elements where this survey could indicate that there are issues and where the ways forward are. but more needs to be done. what our surveys, including this one, offers to the european politicians as well as the politicians, there is an insight

into this problem. we break it down into particular components. he we use a lawser beam on the problem. then they can take steps, those at the european level, maybe a wider european strategy. we can look at the national level. what can the health sector do better? what can the police do better? how can we take it forward in the classroom, et cetera? there is also something in there for everybody. i think we all should ask ourself: how can i do better? parts of new zealand, the streets of christ church have been overflowing. power has been cut to hundreds of homes and some schools have shut down. he mergency forces have been called in to rescue some motorists. >> complete chaos. n a project in bangladesh is getting children out of the slums and into the classrooms

even though primary education is widely acceptable, many children are left out. a visit to a school run by university students in dakar. >> this is alamin. he lives in one of the poorest slums. his father and mother are day laborers. but he and his fellow students have bigger plans. they want to be film makers, doctors and teachers. when i grow up, i want to work with cameras like you and take pictures and make movies. i am going to school. i am going to grow up to be smart. i know i can do this. >> alimini and his students are students at a school called "a free school." it doesn't look like much. but it's a pretty big deal for the children here there aren't any other schools for them to go to. these students have a lot of

desire to improve themselves. they want to lift themselves out of the situation they found themselves in. >> the bazaar area is a marketplace for illegal drugs. many of the children work in the drug trade. the teachers have to think creatively to keep the children away from the drug money. >> this woman has fruit that thrown away. >> that's what these kids eat. they have found out one of the ways to make sure these kids come to school is to give them some food. >> despite the loss of potential income, most parents are happy their kids are getting an education. >> i won't send my child to work. his chide homeschooled is his childhood. he will go away soon. he can work when he is an adult long i have the strength to keep working, i am going to make sure my son studies in school. >> it's baby steps so far for a free school. but they have big dreams. and so do these kids. mahar satar, al jazeera.

don't forget there is all of the day's developments and the day's news on our website. plus speeches and other articles by reporters. the website address there, aljazeera.com. >> that's aljazeera.com. international pressure is mounting against russia's military presence in ukraine. why there are now hopes, a series of high-level talks today could help ease the crisis. you are looking at a state-of-the-art fighter jet built for every branch of the military but 13 years and hundreds of billions of dollars later, no one is using it. >> i had to make a decision i could be proud of. >> for me now, and for my daughters in the future. >> kentucky's attorney general,

one that has him at odds with the state governor. california's governor signing off on millions of dollars of drought relief. some say it's a quick fix that will take too long to get. good morning. welcome to al jazeera america. i am del walters. high level diplomacy to end the crisis in u jane. secretary of state john kerry scheduled to hold talks with russian and ukrainian officeial in france. nato members meeting with russia's ambassador in brussels today. a top eu official saying the eu has agreed to provide ukraine a $15 billion aid package. sergei lavrov holding talks with

the eu in spain says russia also not seeking a conflict in crimea. >> translator: they are at this location, and there were some special measures taken just to be vigilant. as our president said, we will not allow bloodshed. we will not allow attempts against the lives and wellbeing of those who live in ukraine and russian citizens who live in ukrai ukraine. >> we turn to jennifer glasse >> reporter: despite that claim from the crimean prime min sister, a pro-russian prime minister appointed last week, ukrainian forces are surrendering. at the basis where i have seen ukrainian officers made clear that they remain loyal to ukraine >> reporter: a russian show of force in ukrainian waters, this is the bay where the blockade of ukraine's fleet is meant to pressure sailors to switch sides to pledge allegiance to crimea. the crew of the donbass has

refused. on board are about 120 ukrainian soldiers. one is bedim. his wife prays for husband safety at the gates of his naval base. she is worried the stand-off will turn into a war. at least she can talk to him on the phone. but others are calling the sailors, too, with threats. >> translator: they said you had better sign the agreement, she says. we know where your family lives. we know your children's school. i asked her who is calling. she says she doesn't know. they don't identify themselves. another sailor's wife, olga shows me photos of her husband. she is surprised by the hostility here >> translator: my friend says my husband will be driven out of here, she says, because this will soon be russia. she said there is no place for us. you are ukrainian, she told me. go serve in ukraine >> reporter: across the street from the naval base, russian soldiers are setting up camp.

>> that's what the russians have done across crimea. this russian position on the outskirts overlooks the ukrainian navy's field lint communications basis. inside, the chief of staff alexander gessen says the commander is talking with the russians outside his gate. >> we are talking the same language. we understand each other, but -- but the situation, you can see from the outside on the top of the abandoned building, you can see the position, the fire position in its and it's pointed to our direction. >> his camp refuses to change its flag and its loyalties to ukraine. >> nobody wants to be a betrayer in the eyes of our country mates. >> back in the bay is ukraine's only submarine also blocked by the russians. here, the ships of both navies still sit side-by-side. only the russian boats can move in this stand-off on the sea. >> those stand-offs aren't just

on the sea. we see them at basis all across the land here as well, with russian forces standing off against ukrainian forces where the top military officers work every day, they haven't been able to leave their offices for the last couple of days. the russian forces have them blockaded in. the russian, the head of the ukrainian navy wanted to hold a press conference. the russians wouldn't let the journalists in. after a couple of hours, he had to cancel that press conference, a sense of how difficult it is, how tension it is here in russia's and ukraine's naval port. >> that's jennifer glasse for us. president obama also calling out russian president vladimir puttip over a strategy in ukraine. as lease a stark reports from washington, the white housesponding to the crisis in ukraine on several fronts. >> reporter: president obama continues to put on the pressure in his bid to isolate russia over what he calls its

aggression in crimea. even as he s economic sanctions action he is homing another option gains some traction. >> we are calling for a deescalation of the situation and international monitors that can go into the country right away >> reporter: this is what the president is calling the off-ramp solution, a way out of the crisis for russian president putin who says he reserves the right to use his forces in crimea. >> translator: if we make this decision that would be solely to protect ukrainian citizens. >> what the so-called off-ramp does according to president obama, allowing international observers to take the place of russian forces and protect the rights of the russian-speaking population in crimea. the white house envisions three scenarios, a dangerous escalation with russia moving beyond crimea and into eastern ukraine. the other, russia holding firm, just in crimea. and finally, a peaceful solution resulting in an end to the stalemate even if president

putin continues to see the formation of a new government in ukraine, as anything but legal. >> translator: the definition of what has happened in kiev and ukraine as a whole, the definition could be the only one. it is an unconstitutional coup and a military seizure of power. >> that's jennifer glasse in washington. the u.s., one of 15 countries that have agreed to send military observers to monitor the situation in crimea. celebrations and protests on the streets of venzuela today. supporters of the late hugo chavez marking the first anniversary of his death, following weeks of anti-government protests aimed at removing his suck sessor. daniel schwimler takes a look at how things have changed after the death of hugo chavez. >> the poster reads "chavez lives" a year after he died, there are thousands of them all over venzuela. this one even looking down on the rally by the opposition that's battling against his

successor, nicholas maduro. he may be gone but hugo chavez is far unforgotten. >> he was the most noble man i have ever known. >> translator: chaves was our brother, our father, our friend, our liberator. to some, the former president has a saint like face. where his body was laid to rest. in the humble neighborhood where the anniversary of his death is being commemorated. just how much is president nicholas maduro hiding behind the image of his old friend and how far will the government go to use that image to keep their revolution alive? those are the questions being asked in a bitter conflict between a growing opposition movement and president maduro's government which is struggling

to tackle rising crime and rampant inflation. >> translator: he was a man with qualities that can be passed on which no apriling marketing can be copied. it was did impossible to explain and no one has. neither maduro or the opposition leader can fill chavez's shoes. >> new posters and murals are constantly appearing. many venzuelans who loved him and those who hated him, hugo chavez's memory lives on. daniel schwimler, al jazeera. hugo chavez died from cancer last year. is real saying it has intercepted rockets bound for gaza. though said they found dozens of rocket did on board. they have a range of up to 100 miles. israeli officials saying if they had fallen into the hands of terrorists, all of israel would have been within striking

distance. israel has long accused ofrage of supplying arms to opponents in the region. the trial of our three al jazeera colleagues in egypt has resumed. >> court hearing evidence from the prosecution. this was the scene outside. dozens of foreign journalists on hand to cover the proceedings. all accused of having lifrpingdz to a terrorist organization. they have been detained since late december access rejects the charges and call for the immediate release of our colleagues. a split between a number of golf arab allies in bahrain calling ambassadors from qatar, part of a growing rift because it is believed they supported the muslim brotherhood. the countries part of the gulf cooperation counsel saying that doha failed to uphold a security agreement. the cabinet voicing surprise at the decision.

access is owned by and founded by qatari interests. oscar pistorius covering his ears and weeping at his murder trial. it happened in cross examination of the first prosecution witness, the neighbor saying she heard a woman screaming followed by the sounds of gunshots. the testimony contradicts his claim that he accidentally shot his girlfriend. pistorius telling police he thought she was a burglar. legal analysts warn this trial has a long way to go. >> as a prosecutor, you would want to plan your trial ahead. so you would want to aduce evidence that creates a good impression and a good start for the court. i think the state has done this by this witness. this witness started with a bang. evidence was really startling. >> pistorius making history when he became the first paralimpic athlete to compete in the summer olympics. tes facing a life sentence if convicted of premeditated murder. a hearing underway on capitol 'til talking about the defense budget.

you can looking life at the senate armed forces committee. chuck hagle is among those who are set to testify. last week, he announced the pentagon plans to shrink the army to levels not see before world war ii. it is expected to affect the number of f-32 fighter jets ordered by the navy. those planes are years behind schedule and billions of dollars over budget. >> the joint strike fighter, better known as the f-35 is supposed to be all things to all branches of the u.s. military. able to evade enemy radar, capable of super sonic speed and able to land and take off like a helicopter when required. but sense the penitentiary penitentiary unveiled the f-35 in 2001, turning its plans into a fullly capable jet has been problematic. >> almost every hardware program the pentagon buys costs twice as much as we thought it was going to, is delivered so slowly, it's twice as long as when they said

they were going to deliver it. and it gives you about half the performance you thought you were going to get at the beginning. >> the special helmet meant to help pie lots see threats makes them dizzy and could cause them to crash. when the jet reaches super sonic speeds, the stealth coating melts off near the tail and reveals the f-35 to enemy trackers. >> and recent ground testing caused serious cracks in the bulkheads of the version designed for the marine corps. those are some of the problems in a program now costing taxpayers these $92,000,000,000 over its lifetime. >> is 70% more than originally projected. while pilots are conducting test flights, not a single jet is ready to go into combat. one day, the pentagon says it will buy more than 2400 f-35s to serve the entire military. but in next year's budget, it's only going to purchase just they are 4 of them for test can and basic missions. why so few?

congressionally-mandated budget cuts. the defense secretary recently pointed out that every program has to be trimmed to save money. >> the reality of reduced resources and a challenging and strategic changing environment requires us to prior or ties and make difficult choicesitize and make difficult choices. >> despite problems and cost overruns, the military has no plans to scrap the f-35. it argues current fighter jets are obsolete and that china and russia are developing fighters that soon will outfly and outgun the u.s. fleets. but in a time of budget constraint, the question is whether the pentagon can make good on the promise of a jet that can tackle all threats in all conditions. ross cylinder jordan, al jazeera, washington. the budget also calls for retiring the u 2 spy plane in favor of one that is remote controlled. >> kentucky's government at odds

with his attorney general. they are on opiniposite sued ofe legal battle. >> california's governor signing off on millions of dollars for drought relief. some say it's not enough to save their crops or livestock.

is. >> raising the minimum wage. what problems could it create for many families? good morning. welcome back to al jazeera america. i am del walters. straight ahead, california farmers worried about the state's drought relief saying it may be too little too late but first, let's check on your morning forecast. for that, we turn to ebony deon who is allegation on time. >> thanks. well, we are certainly going to see more moisture moving into the west. not exactly where we could use it. unfortunately, the moisture we are seeing here with the steady flow in off of the pacific will create problems for the pacific northwest because the grounds here are already very saturated and now we are talking about milder temperatures which will lead to snow melt and heavy rainfall possibly anywhere from three to five inches as we get into western areas of washington and oregon and northern

california. hi elevations where in localized areas we could pick up upwards of a foot. flooding will be a concern as you get out around the seattle area and points westward. inland we have flooding concerns in addition to landslides. that will be an issue. we have had reports of that and possibly that after large danger existing around the cascades of washington and into the mountains of montana. across the midwest, we have been watching, bringing in snow all around chicago. visibility less than about two miles around that area. we also have some light to moderate snow streaking out across parts of kansas and nebraska. the arctic air is remaining in place. temperatures today about 10 to 20 degrees colder than normal, but we are going to see a gradual warming trend. good news here around chicago by friday, closer to 40 degrees. soggy across the southeast. we are going to keep it that way as temperatures rise. we are expecting an area of low pressure to kind of stick around. >> that's what's going to create more rain and storms here across

the southeast for thursday. >> thank you very much. california struggling with a record drought. t the statements government is taking action. the governor signing a relief package. as melissa chan reports, some of the people who say they need that water are worried about the wait >> reporter: the state plan has ambitious goals to combat the worst drought in half a sent re. it would fund clean drinking water and conservation projects. it would support unemployed farmers by paying for food and housing. as state lawmakers pass the drought relief plan, as if on cue, saw much needed rain. it brings $15 million to places like hillsberg, a rural community facing a water shortage. despite what happened in sacramento, the benefits of the law might not trickle down to quick res results on the ground. >> my concern is this, that, you know, the governor said we have a drought emergency. and we need agencies down the line, like our regional water quali

quality control board. we need them to feel that same urgency. we are not seeing it at this point. >> at this time of the year, the russian river would be flowing over my head. instead, it's dry and that's a problem for the city of hillsberg. the river is its primary source of river. >> we need to make sure that the river water flows signature enough to have the city be able to recharge our well system and, also, the farmers draw on russian river for frost protection. >> that won't happen. even if hillsberg sees steady rain, they tell us it won't be enough to bring the river's levels back up. >> that's why the city hopes to grab a small part of some of those millions to complete a pipe project. the pipes would move recycled water out to farmers in the area and can be installed in six to eight weeks if they receive immediate funding. the worry here, the application process may take too long and come too late. >> the reality is that it may

take too long for people who really need the water. we know in our area that there are farmers that have already kind of written off this year's crop. >> hillsburg welcomes state help but in this instance they see what's offered as a medium term solution for short-term problems. with the legislation vague about how much red tape those seeking help will need to wade through for those facing imminent need, it's not quite the relief they had hoped for. melissa chan, access, hillsburg, california. >> despite all of the rain they saw in recent weeks, the governor is still urging people in california to conserve water. primary voters headed to the polls in texas to pick a successor for governor rick perry, republican greg abbot beating out eight other republican candidates. he will face off against wendy davis, widely expected to win the democratic primary. she, by the way, is the first female gubnatoril nominee since ann richards in '94. >> kentucky's top.

the state's attorney general, the number 2 refused to file an appeal. as erika pitzy shows us seven tones general have taken similar steams. >> jack conway choked tears as he explained why he would not represent the state in its appeal to defend a ban on same-sex marriage. >> the final analysis, i had to make a decision i could be proud of. for me now, and for my daughter's judgment in the future. >> his decision is at odd's with steve bashear but his stanchion is in line with a february decision from u.s. district judge john hayburn who called kentucky's ban on same-sex marriages unconstitutional because it treated gay and lesbian persons differently in a way that demeans them. the governor is appealing that position saying he would hire other counsel to represent it in this case though he added

same-sex marriage in states should be ultimately decided by the u.s. supreme court in order to bring finality and certainty to this matter. conway called kentucky's appeal to keep the ban the state's way of defending discrimination. >> that, i will not do. >> according to his boss, u.s. attorney general eric holder, he does not have to. holder said as much in a recent speech at the national association for attorneys general. >> we must endeavor in all of our efforts to uphold the values that led our forebearers to declare unequivocally all are entit created equal and entitled to equal opportunity. >> that's what conway says his decision is all about. >> in the end, this issue is really larger than any single person. >> in fact, he says, it's about placing people over politics. erica pitzy, al jazeera. >> the latest polls shows a

record high, 59% of americans now favor same-sex marriage. ecigarette smokers will be banned in public places in los angeles. the la city council vote to go ban them at bars, restaurants. they treat ecigarettes as traditional tobacco products. supporters say the ban will protect kids but opponents say they will stop people from being able to kick the habit. it is called one of the world's greatest archeological treasures. what's being done to fix and protect the ancient city of pompeii from flooding. the very different kind of ice storm. what they are doing to clear the ice clogging the great lakes.

you are looking live right in and out at budget hearings on capitol hill. defense secretary chuck hagel testifying this hour. he opened his remarks saying the pentagon is now looking at measures to support our allies during the ukrainian crisis but millions of dollars in cuts in the defense budget, lowering the number of armed troops to levels not seen since world war ii.

catholics around the world are observing ash wednesday today marking the beginning of lent, a period of 40 days of fasting leading up to easter. services right now underway in the philippines where priests are applying ash to the foreheads of catholics in the form after cross, for catholics to reflect, repent and pray. >> italy is dipping into emergency funds to save the roads of pompeii. they will protect the ancient city in naples. why the country struggles to preserve it's treasurer >> reporter: in pompeii, history repeated itself when an arch and a wall fell to the ground, it was only the last of a long series of collapses in recent years, all blamed on official neglect and mismanagement. >> that's why government officials are looking into the

latest collapse. but pompeii expert darsio swarto says the archeological site is suffering from the same old problems. >> what pompeii needs is every day maintenance. it's a problem that drags on for years, brick layers, restorers, mosiac artists to stop the ruins' crumbling. >> the preservation has been marked by problems, almost 2,000 years after an eruption from mount versuivus buried it under volcanic ash. the bad weather has swept across europe. >> when it rains for many dawes, the many acres of arkansas logical sites yet to be escvated become water-logged. the soil starts pushing against the ruins, and this is the result. in 2013, the european union pledged around $150 million to

pay for sweeping restoration with state-of-the-art technology. one of the 139 planned works have been completed. >> translator: the restoration work is in progress. in the next few days, we will start to secure entire areas to make sure there warped be any more collapses. >> with pompeii falling further into ruin, time is running out before this world heritage site does become history. >> the coast guard is getting set to get the great lakes ready for spring. it is sending ice cutters into the waters to prepare for the shipping which stars near the end of march. currently 90% are covered in ice. lake superior is worse. 95%. >> that's the most ice it has seen in almost two decades. >> will do it for this edition of al jazeera america. remember, news always at the top of the hour.

thanks for watching. >> announcer: this is al jazeera. ♪ hello and welcome to the news hour. coming up in the next 60 minutes. crisis talks. top diplomats search for a solution to the standoff in ukrain. and ukrainian soldiers are under pressure to choose sides. and the seen inside an egyptian court as al jazeera's staff face